It argues that “the current social policy framework was built for, and belongs to, a different era”. The statement claims Growing Together “is an integral part of modern Labor’s policy renewal”. [Read more…]

The Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, has called for an Australian republic and same-sex marriage in the last of her Boyer Lectures, delivered just four months before she retires from the Vice-Regal role.

Bryce’s remarks came at the end of a speech titled “Advance Australia Fair”. She concluded by imagining a nation of care and equality, “where people are free to love and marry whom they choose and where, perhaps, my friends, one day, one young girl or boy may even grow up to be our nation’s first head of state”. [Read more…]

An impressive debate began in the House of Representatives tonight on a motion by the Greens member, Adam Bandt, calling on parliamentarians to gauge their constituents’ views on the issue of marriage equality.

Bandt’s motion reads:

That this House:

(1) notes there is:

(a) a growing list of countries that allow same-sex couples to marry including the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, SPain, Canada and South Africa; and

(b) widespread support for equal marriage in the Australian community; and

(2) calls on all parliamentarians to gauge their constituents’ views on the issue of marriage equality.

Speaking to the motion, Bandt said, “there have been many attempts through history to limit love and all have failed”. The text of his speech is at the end of this page. [Read more…]

Tanya Plibersek, the Minister for Housing and Minister for the Status of Women, has delivered an interesting speech about the need for “a new conversation about equality”.

Speaking at the Sydney Institute, Plibersek said “the fact remains we cannot yet say that equality has been won”. She cited income differentials, the lack of women in the higher echelons of business, and violence against women as evidence.

The minister argued that “there is a solid body of evidence that gender equality is good for the economy as a whole” and outlined a range of measures in support of this. [Read more…]

The federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Pru Goward, says it is time to put paid and unpaid work and family responsibilities in the spotlight.

In an address to the National Press Club in Canberra, Ms Goward said there was a need to closely examine these issues to better understand the pressures facing men and women and the barriers to balancing work and family in Australia today.

The Commissioner used the occasion to launch a new Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission project titled Striking the Balance: Women, Men, Work and Family. [Read more…]

This is the text of a speech delivered by the Leader of the Opposition, Mark Latham, to The Global Foundation, in Sydney.

Text of speech by Mark Latham to The Global Foundation.

I have always believed in Australia as a big country – big in size, big in spirit, big in its egalitarian ways. These are the values that will guide a future Labor Government. Always reaching out to our fellow citizens. Always trying to build a more cohesive and just society. Always standing up for Australian independence and Australian sovereignty.

Already we have released a wad of policy aimed at achieving these social goals. Our Read Aloud program for early childhood development. Our Aim Higher policy for TAFE and university access. Our plan to save bulk billing and establish a national dental program. And to help parents balance their work and family commitments, Labor’s Baby Care Payment. [Read more…]

The influence of socioeconomic conditions on voting behaviour is difficult to dispute, considering the relationship between socioeconomic statistics and results in federal elections.

A paper produced in 2001 by Gerard Newman and Andrew Kopras of the Statistics Group in the Federal Parliamentary Library matches census data with election results. The data has been adapted to the new electoral boundaries that will be used in the 2001 election. [Read more…]